3 Forevers Ago

People talk about 3 years going by in the blink of an eye. That's not always the case. Not if you knew someone like my brother, Sal. He passed away 3 years ago today - and, if you knew him, you'd understand what I mean when I say: 3 years feels like forever.

My brother used every second. No exaggeration - he was the type of person who celebrated his 1 billionth second on earth, and looked forward to his 2nd billionth. If you ever travelled with him, you'd undoubtedly experienced those times when - at the end of the day, just as you were getting ready to turn in for the evening - he'd come up with some plan to drive 90 minutes somewhere, without telling you where and only promising that 'you'd love it.' And you knew you could trust him on that. Maybe you'd protest, but ultimately you'd go - and after having a great time, you'd be cringing as you waited for him to say "I told you so." But he never would.

He was the kind of person who would help anyone move. He hated moving as much as anyone, but moving was an excuse to hang out, to see friends. To share an awful experience. It wasn't about living life to the fullest, but living life in the most present way possible: in the connections we have with other.

And that's why, when you lose someone like that, you become acutely aware of each second that passes without them. Each memory that they're not a part of. 3 years feel like 3 forevers.

Three forevers ago my older brother passed away. And while I learned just about everything from him - one of the most important ones was to Connect. Every stranger is an opportunity to make a friend. Every friend is an opportunity to grow your family. Every family member is an opportunity to grow your heart.

That's something I'll keep with me forever.

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